Wiley debated USC in 1935, but on what topic?

June 7, 2008 12:09 AM

Wiley College famously debated University of Southern California in 1935. What was the topic?

This NY Times article points out a few of the historical innaccuracies in the recent film, "The Great Debaters." For one, the film has Wiley debate Harvard, when they actually debated the University of Southern California, the actual reigning debate champions of the time.

A few reviews complained that the debate topics selected for the film were also unlikely.

What topic was debated at the match against USC?
(Bonus points for who had the Aff. and who had the Neg., and extra special bonus points for any other topics debated by Wiley in their 1935 season.)

posted by brownbat to Grab Bag (2 answers total)

Best answer: Both teams, dressed in tuxedos, took the stage, with Wiley on the affirmative side. The Pi Kappa Delta-sponsored question for 1934-1935 was the one concerning the prevention of international shipment of munitions, which was probably the subject of the Southern California encounter.

From this article.
posted by TedW at 4:26 AM on June 7, 2008

Response by poster: Excellent response!

Linked article highly recommended to anyone who wants more historical details that inspired this film. The article is very thorough and accurate without sacrificing any drama.
posted by brownbat at 3:16 AM on June 8, 2008